Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Healing Hummus: Tri-Region resident gives aid to Lebanon with food

Healing Hummus: Tri-Region resident gives aid to Lebanon with food

“I did not want to just say ‘I am Lebanese, can I have money to donate?’ I wanted to offer part of my culture.”

Nesreen MacDonald is a Spruce Grove resident of two worlds and since August has been working hard to help her shattered one.

The mother was in the kitchen with her two children when the Lebanese capital of Beirut was rocked by an explosion of ammonium nitrate stored at its harbor towards the beginning August. Her parents came from the nation to Canada in 1978 and while she is a born and raised Canadian with family spread out around the Middle Eastern nation, she also has friends who were on the ground as the disaster unfolded and recalls trying to reach them with a mixture of frenzy and disbelief clashing in her mind as the shock began to clear.

“I was researching and saying ‘this cannot be true’,” she said. “Of course, it was and when trying to reach people my close childhood friend was not getting back to me. My heart just sank and the messages started to get panicky. I got a call about 10 hours later and they were displaced from their apartment. Glass was everywhere and her son got a broken shoulder. They got stitches and it was just pure chaos.”

About 200 died in the incident marked as one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history. Billions worth of property was damaged, protesters took to the streets to demand accountability in the wake of the disaster and, while focus on the incident has faded from much of Canadian media and minds, MacDonald got into action with her culinary skills to help in the immediate aftermath and is still doing so today.


MacDonald and her now dead uncle Chawki Jounblat during a trip she took to Lebanon in 2019. The Spruce Grove resident identifies strongly with the nation though she was born and raised in Canada.


“I was making Lebanese rice pudding and hummus the day after,” MacDonald said. “With the amazing support of friends, strangers and Facebook I was able to raise $3,300 which with the Canadian government matching until Aug. 24 equates to about $6,600. I did not want to just say ‘I am Lebanese, can I have money to donate?’ I wanted to offer part of my culture and honestly the response has been amazing.”

Those wanting some pudding or hummus now can contact her through her Facebook page or by texting 780-966-5539. The funds she collects then go to the Humanitarian Coalition. This is a four-star rated umbrella organization consisting of groups like Action Against Hunger, Canadian Lutheran World Relief and Islamic Relief Canada that works alongside non-governmental organizations in a time of crisis.

Her orders cost $5 for 10 oz. of hummus or pudding and $8 for a 16 oz. container of pudding and are made in a COVID-19 safe way. MacDonald has buying individual containers at the grocery store for each order, has raised more than $4,000 on her own as of this story being filed and is seen by the coalition as someone who is an example of the goal that they strive for with all that they do every year.

“She is so inspiring,” spokesperson Marg Buchanan said. “Our goal is to mobilize Canadians and not just credit cards. People can help people and when we can connect people with the stories of others who are in some need it is very exciting and an exciting level of engagement.”


MacDonald’s daughters Harper and Theryn posing with a sign thanking those who bought initial orders of hummus and rice pudding and allowed for $3,000 to be raised for relief efforts in the wake of the August explosion in Beirut. MacDonald is still making food and those interested in some can contact her over Facebook or by sending a text.


MacDonald has no ending in mind for her present project. She keeps going and going and is moved by the connection she has received.

“I cannot just pull $4,000 out of my pocket and donate it,” she added. “I wish I could. It has been amazing and I have had such a great response. People love that they are donating and getting a taste of where this whole cooking story ended up originating from.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×